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School overcrowding in some regions is being linked to controversial Government closures, but the Ministry of Education denies it has got it wrong.
After the closure or merger of schools in some South Island provincial areas in recent years, the remaining schools are now feeling the pinch of rising demand.
In the North Otago town of Oamaru, three of four state primary schools needed new classrooms and are having to put in place enrolment schemes to manage demand, said principals association president Brent Godfery.
About seven years ago, four Oamaru primary schools were merged into two by the Government.
Mr Godfery said the town's population was now rebuilding, and his own school, Pembroke Primary, was "absolutely chocker".
"We've turned storerooms into teaching spaces. We've got a big old hall, but we can't really use it in the winter. We need a new classroom."
Having to introduce enrolment schemes would not help those parents who wanted the choice of school for their child, Mr Godfery said.
The Ministry of Education's South Island regional manager Michael De'Ath said the issue in Oamaru was more of a drift of pupils from one school to another, rather than a population increase.
While some of the schools might have been close to overcrowding, only one needed a new classroom, Mr De'Ath said.
Enrolment schemes would ensure children got to attend their local school without overcrowding, and money was not invested in new classrooms when existing classrooms elsewhere were empty.
In the Invercargill area, where 10 schools were closed two years ago, primary schools were also reporting problems with overcrowding.
"I'm not surprised at all that some schools in areas where there were major closures are now under pressure because of growing populations," said National party education spokeswoman Katherine Rich.
"The Labour Government should have listened to communities when they pleaded with them not to use old data when deciding whether to close their schools.".
"In Southland and Otago, then Minister, Trevor Mallard, was told time and time again that the historical data being used to justify school closures underestimated the communities' needs and the future growth expected."
